The field of the present disclosure relates generally to aircraft assemblies and, more specifically, to sidewall panel assemblies for use in aircraft assemblies.
During a pressure change on an aircraft (such as a decompression event), air may flow from a passenger cabin to a cargo bay below the cabin through a cabin sidewall. Accordingly, the cabin sidewalls include decompression panels or decompression grills that restrict such airflow in standard operation and enable the airflow during a decompression event. At least some known decompression panels include a grill of louvers that define a plurality of openings through the grill. These openings allow air to flow through the grill during both normal operation and during a decompression event. A separate baffle member is coupled to the backside of the grill opening(s) to limit the amount of return air flow and to decrease the noise in the cabin during normal operation. However, in order to reduce the noise level during normal operation, at least some known baffle members are formed from a relatively thick and heavy material. The baffle is releasably coupled to the grill and releases from the grill during a decompression event. Additionally, because the baffle is a separate component, some type of mechanical fastener or adhesive affixes the baffle to the grill. The size of the baffle and the associated fastening means both add weight to the aircraft. Furthermore, because the baffle is only connected to the grill in discrete locations, the baffle may vibrate where not affixed to the grill and transmit additional undesired noise to the cabin during normal operations.